The Legislature is rolling along, beginning its third week tomorrow. As usual, it faces a potpourri of issues.

The Legislature is rolling along, beginning its third week tomorrow. As usual, it faces a potpourri of issues.

Should the Legislature eliminate the requirement to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon?

Pignanelli: "We cannot but pity the boy who has never fired a gun; he is no more humane, while his education has been sadly neglected." —Henry David Thoreau

Two years ago, our firm co-sponsored a concealed weapon course for friends and clients. Thus, I attended out of a sense of obligation — and curiosity. I half expected to endure screeches about Obama and screams to hoard weapons in anticipation of the impending apocalypse. My actual experience was vastly different.

Our instructor — Clark Aposhian (Utah's leading gun rights advocate) — provided several hours of thoughtful guidance about weapons. He emphasized common-sense safety while directing the participants through a number of situations. This city boy garnered more practical benefits in one evening with Aposhian than most of my law school courses provided in a semester. Many of the participants were experienced gun owners who also found the class informative.

The concealed weapons permit provides an excellent opportunity to initiate, or reaffirm, safe behavior for owners and non-owners. The course should not be canceled but instead promoted.

Webb: It's unfortunate that tragic school shootings have triggered enormous battles over gun rights across the country. In reality, overall violence has declined dramatically nationally and in most states. As usual, folks on both extremes are using the events to further their own agendas. Few of the proposals would do anything to reduce gun violence.

It would be silly to ban certain guns just because they look scary. President Barrack Obama and congressional Democrats have ignited perhaps the biggest gun-buying spree ever. They want fewer guns. Now, thanks to them, we have more guns — 300 million in the U.S., by some estimates.

On the other extreme, we don't need to allow anyone, any time, to carry a concealed weapon. The Utah concealed carry law works just fine. It's not a burden to get a permit if even Frank can get one. Unfortunately, the debate is distracting Congress from things that have a far bigger impact on society.

The Wasatch Front's disgusting air is sparking anger and frustration. Elected officials, especially the governor, are receiving the brunt of the criticism. Can the governor and Legislature do anything meaningful to clean up the air?

Pignanelli: Utah's peak inversion season usually coincides with the legislative session, but this coincidence has not compelled significant action by state officials — until recently. There is now movement to decrease pollutants caused by transportation activities. Rep. Greg Hughes, in his capacity as Chairman of the Utah Transit Authority, has pushed the agency to obtain a number of natural gas powered buses. This is a big deal because trucks and buses are the biggest pollutants. Representatives Jack Draxler and Lowry Snow (who owns a natural gas vehicle) are offering tax incentive legislation for clean fuel vehicles. The Herbert administration is moving the state fleet toward natural gas consumption. An unknown hero is former Gov. Jon Huntsman, who instituted natural gas outlets along the I-15 corridor. Utahns frustrated with dirty air are having an impact.

Webb: Every time you or I turn on a light, talk on a cellphone, or drive to the grocery store we're contributing to dirty air. Given Wasatch Front geography and atmospherics, a couple million people doing simple things during an inversion adds up to dirty air, especially with snow on the ground.

Popular Comments

People that are working, but struggling to have enough money to pay bills often
target a mortgage/rent, utilities, transportation and then food. When someone
walks into a store with $3 left to buy food, you don't tell them it is OK
they
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2:15 a.m. Feb. 10, 2013

Top comment

Trapped in Utah

heber city, UT

this is not about shutting down the refineries and loss of jobs - this is about
permitting expansion of industry that will increase the pollution levels and
mandating that the existing industries modernize their facilities with the tools
available to
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4:04 a.m. Feb. 10, 2013

Top comment

Moderate

Salt Lake City, UT

I'd like to see the State Legislature ban private sale of guns in Utah, and
move gun sales to new State Gun Stores. That move with liquor "makes us
safer", they claim, so it naturally follows that State Gun Stores would make
us safer.
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Republican LaVarr Webb is a political consultant and lobbyist. Previously he was policy deputy to Gov. Mike Leavitt and Deseret News managing editor. Email: lwebb@exoro.com. Democrat Frank Pignanelli is a Salt Lake more ..